The Orvis Company, Inc. of Manchester, VT announced four recipients of its annual Customer Matching Grant program, the cornerstone of Orvis' perennial commitment of 5 percent of its pre-tax profits to protecting nature. This year's grants are targeted to raise $400,000 or more for these projects.
Orvis has awarded cash grants — to match its customers' contributions up to equal amounts — to the following organizations:
- Trout Unlimited, who will partner with Orvis in a multi-year initiative to establish the Orvis/Trout Unlimited Culvert Fund, which will reconnect stream passage for fish in watersheds throughout the United States through the repair, modification and/or removal of several of the nation's most obstructive culverts each year.
- The Petfinder.com Foundation, for its programs benefitting shelters and providing homes for rescued dogs across America.
- The Chesapeake Bay Foundation for its on-the-ground restoration projects to improve water quality and provide essential habitat for oysters, blue crabs, and other important species of the Bay watershed.
- The National Wildlife Federation and Greater Yellowstone Coalition for their efforts to provide vital winter range for the American Bison herd of Yellowstone National Park.
Throughout 2012, Orvis will feature each of the grant programs in its catalogs, website, and retail stores, as well as in other print and online promotions, social media and its conservation blog. Each partner organization will also feature the grant program in their marketing channels. These promotional efforts, coupled with the matching funds from Orvis, provide a remarkable opportunity for customers, organization members and the general public to amplify their contribution to the protection of nature through these programs.
Founded in 1856, Orvis pioneered the mail order industry in the United States; operates more than 80 retail stores in the U.S. and the U.K. including its Flagship store in Manchester, VT; and maintains a network of over 400 dealers worldwide.
